I remember the winner a couple of years ago - there was uproar when the winner was eventually stripped of first place for the shot of the wolf jumping the gate as it turned out (if memory serves me right) to be a staged shot involving a captive wolf.

One has to consider the extremes the photographer has to go to to get those shots. As for photographer of the year? highly questionable to say the least considering. if the photographer of the year was say for the photographer that spent the most money to go to the most way out places most wouldn't even attempt, it may be different.